This was a fun adventure filled with excitement, monsters and trails of earwax! Told from the slightly distracted point of view of a child (I think!) it is filled with mild horror and big adventure.

In some places, I think I missed parts of the story as the formatting wasn’t quite right on my e-reader and the pictures didn’t always match the text - sometimes appearing much earlier in the book than the text giving away a few spoilers, and some sentences didn’t continue on the next page as expected. However I will definitely consider purchasing a full version of the story to share with children in school.

The pictures were fun and there was much humour in the story which I’m sure would tempt anyone who was a fan of Halloween.

At this time of year, I love to dive into a good book that involves ghosts, monsters, vampires or mummies, so imagine my delight when I discovered that Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters has all of that and more!
Left in the graveyard as a baby one Halloween, Theodora is discovered by Georgie the zombie and Bandit his cat who take her to their rather unconventional home, otherwise known as the Monstrous League of Monsters. Unfortunately, there is a slight problem as the League have a strict set of rules:
Keep monsters hidden from humans
Protect humans from bad monsters
Help bad monsters become good monsters
Strictly speaking, the first rule means that the League should return the baby to the humans; however, as there are goblins who believe she would make a delicious treat and the humans within their locality aren't deemed suitable to bring up the baby, rule two comes into play. The League decide to keep this whole thing a secret, name the baby Theodora and she is brought up by the most unconventional of families. We then join Theodora when she is ten and find a happy girl who is quite at home amongst Mummy, Dracula, Sir Pumpkin-de-Patch and the others. But then anonymous letters begin to appear, covered in wax, which threaten to reveal the League's hidden secret ... Theodora!

This book is the perfect recipe for this time of year: full of a brilliant set of quirky characters, a mysterious plot that needs solving, some characters you'll enjoy hating (for me it was Ms Frumple) and just the right amount of eeriness for this time of year. Combine that with the chatty narration and quirky quips that accompany the main story (which added just enough humour and I personally loved) and you've got one heck of a book that will entice children and capture their imagination (I can see many wanting their own Sherman once they've finished reading!).

Theodora is one of those characters that I absolutely love to see in children's books: she's not afraid of breaking the rules (for all the right reasons, of course!), there's a fiery determination to her, she loves her family and has the best friends! Sherman the spider is a brilliant character, particularly his attire! (... and I'm afraid of spiders!) and his loyal to Theadora is evident throughout the book. And Dexter shows us that, no matter how scared you are, you can do anything if you really want to.
With a vibrant, shiny front cover and a host of illustrations by Chris Jevons that help to enhance the story, Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters will be a monstrous hit!

This fun, highly imaginative tale full of fabulous characters is a perfect read for any middle grader and just right for this time of the year. Read it!

A fun, spooky book just in time for Halloween! I was a bit thrown off with the pacing at the start but other than that it was a fulfilling read.

Theodora Hendrix is ​​a cute, fun story with monsters. Our protagonist is a little girl raised by monsters. Teodora started a new school year, while strange things happen in the world of monsters as well.
The writing of the book reminded me of Geronimo Stilton's books. Big letters, lots and lots of illustrations that looked really good by the way. I like it. Also, the story reminded me so much of Hotel Transylvania. I recommend them this book to those who love movies. The story was funny, though a bit predictable. I liked this tale with a dark atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the ARC copy I received from NetGalley was not perfect. The pictures were slipped away. I opened the document separately on my mobile phone and my machine, and I read it from my machine and looked at the pictures on my mobile because the pictures were on completely different pages than they should have. Besides, I didn't have the very end of the book, 1-2 chapters were left based on the pictures, but overall the story was over. Regardless, this deducts from my subjective experience, with a normal copy there will be no such problems.
I highly recommend this cute children’s book. Especially for Geronimo Stilton and Hotel Transylvania fans!

My Hungarian review:
Theodora Hendrix egy cuki, szórakoztató, szörnyes történet. A főszereplőnk egy kislány, akit szörnyek neveltek fel. Az iskolában jött egy új diák, aki barátkozik vele, közben pedig fura dolgok történnek a szörnyek világában is.
Írásmódilag a könyv Geronimo Stiltonra hasonlított. Nagy betűk, sok-sok illusztráció, amik mellesleg nagyon jól néztek ki. Nekem bejött. Ezenkívül a sztori nekem annyira Hotel Transylvaniát juttatta eszembe, akik szeretik a filmeket, ajánlom nekik ezt a könyvet. A történet jópofa volt, bár kicsit kiszámítható. Nagyon tetszett ez a sötét hangulatú szörnyes mese.
Sajnos, az előolvasó példány, amit a NetGalley-tól kaptam nem volt tökéletes. A képek el voltak csúszva, külön megnyitottam mobilon meg gépen a dokumentumot, és gépről olvastam, mobilon néztem a képeket, mert egész más oldalakon voltak a képek, mint kellett volna. Ezenkívül a könyv legvége sem volt meg a példányomban, képek alapján 1-2 fejezet maradt le, de összeségében már vége lett a sztorinak. Ettől függetlenül ez levon a szubjektív élményemből, normális példánynál ilyen gondok nem lesznek.
Nagyon ajánlom ezt a könyvet, aranyos, szörnyes gyerekkönyv. Főleg Stilton és Hotel Transylvania rajongóknak!

This was an advance review copy via NetGalley.

'The first rule off Monsterous League of Monsters - keep monsters hidden from humans".

10 years ago a small baby was abandoned in a graveyard, and Zombie George and Bandit the cat rescue her, determined not to leave her to her otherwise destined fate.

Bought up and raised by Monsters, forward wind 10 years and we meet Theodora Hendrix, a child whose unorthodox upbringing has seen her baby sitting warewolf cubs, making friends with Tarrantulas and having a Mummy who well, is quite literally a Mummy.

When a series of annoymous letters start appearing that threaten to expose the truth about her family and their secrets forever, Theodora needs to act fast before their real identity is revealed!

My 7 year old daughter loved reading this book - the illustrations are really engaging and fun, and help bring some of the more imaginative scenes to life. The book is spooky but funny, so nothing that will give them nightmares, out most importantly from a parents perspective it comes with some lovely underlying messages around family - that family is what you make it and can take lots of different forms. For children who have diverse family settings or are adopted, this would be a great reinforcement of some positive messages in a fun and non explicit way.

This book makes a really fun Halloween read. Erin is a big fan of Vamperina and Isadora Moon and this is another great addition to her book collection. Also some hints of a sequel which would be great!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this. However... I got to 22% and I just can't read further due to this being a PDF. My kindle eats letters, sometimes a whole page is just blank, the font is tiny. I cannot convert it because that just breaks the PDF further. :| The story is great fun though, I love Theodora and I love the monsters. The reform school is just the best and I love that they at least try to get monsters to be good. Although it doesn't always go well. I loved how the monsters fell in love with Theodora and kept moving the decision to remove her from the house constantly. I loved seeing Theodora grow up. The art was so so so much fun! I would have loved to continue reading, but if my Kindle isn't an option then I just cannot read the book. 240 pages on a PC = just no. My eyes and head already feel pain just thinking of that.
So I will give the book 4 stars as it was a great read for all those pages I read. I hope I can buy this book or find a better format so I can continue reading. I may, if I don't forget, update the review here if I do.

It's just shy of midnight on Halloween and in an unmarked grave in an abandoned cemetery, a tiny human, swaddled in blankets is wailing like a banshee. A zombie named George Hendrix claws his way out of the earth and he and his best friend Bandit, a masked vampire cat rescue the baby and take her to a sprawling mansion in the village of Appleton, Pumpkinshire. But this is no ordinary mansion...it is in fact occupied by the Monstrous League of Monsters (MLM) and they vow to take care of the baby.

Fast forward 10 years and the baby, Theodora Hendrix is unperturbed by her unconventional upbringing and has ingratiated herself in her adopted family. We are introduced to the most marvellous cast of monstrous family members. There's Helter-Skelter the skeleton butler, Theodora's mum 'Mummy' the, well, Egyptian mummy, Hamlet the skull, Mousetrap the crow and Figaro the operatic ghost to name but a few. Sherman the spider (well actually he's a tarantula), is Theodora's dapper arachnid associate. Suited and booted in a top hat and a monocle on each of his 8 eyes he is loyal to a fault - in this case man's best friend is most definitely monstrous! The concept is really clever and the characters were reminiscent of The Addams Family or The Munsters.

But the first rule of the MLM Charter is "Keep monsters hidden from humans' and when a series of anonymous letters (sealed with earwax) arrive, it seems that someone has discovered their secret and they threaten to tear Theodora from her beloved family of beasts. Brave Theodora, assisted by her first-ever human friend Dexter Adebola must solve the mystery of the menacing letters and save her family.

The tale is told by a mysterious narrator who is very careful not to reveal their identity but is clearly very experienced in the monster world- they've walked right through a ghost don't you know! I've been back through the book and analysed the tasty morsels they throw us every so often to hint at who they really are but I cannot for the life in me guess who they could be! Whoever they are, I found their narration so entertaining, they way they speak so dryly and directly to the reader and constantly poke fun at grown-ups!

"Have you ever dragged your nails down the side of a blackboard? It makes an awful screeching sound (if your teacher is annoying you, I suggest giving it a try)"

Equally, I was left puzzling over the identity of Theodora's birth parents and the reasons why she was left in the graveyard - there are so many unanswered questions, there just has to be another book in the series! I can't be left hanging like this!

Chris Jevons' illustrations are highly engaging, sure to grab the attention of even the most reluctant of readers. My children said the mansion reminded them of the one in the film 'Monster House' a favourite Halloween film of theirs.

As well as being extremely humorous, Theodora Hendrix is also very heart-warming. I loved the friendship that develops between Theodora and Dexter and the chapter where Theodora's family all work together to hide the fact that they are monsters from Dexter when he's invited to the mansion for a play-date is hilarious! Dexter Adebola's character highlights the struggle of fitting into a new school and being a person of colour in a predominantly white setting.

Theodora Hendrix is a magnificently monstrous, story that skilfully blends horror and humour for younger readers, as well as delivering important messages about adoption, diversity, differences and inclusion. There is plenty of intrigue for children to reason out and discuss but without it being too complex that they loose the thread of the story. With Halloween coming up, this is the perfect treat for children aged 7-9years.

I'm really looking forward to the next instalment of Theodora Hendrix and her Monstrous league of Monsters, especially as our narrator has dropped hints that we're 'agents in training' for the Eye Spy Monsters agency...

I adored Theodora and her unconventional family. Having been adopted by The Monstrous League of Monsters, Theodora is well versed in dealing with various monsters. She babysits for werewolf cubs, has a best friend who is a tarantula and her Mummy...is a mummy. Delightfully funny and with superb illustrations, this book is a brilliant haunting mystery.

Theodora’s existence must be kept secret from the HQ of the League but when threatening letters start to arrive asking for Theodora, the family must decide what to do. It is against their charter to keep a human and the consequences can be horrible.

When Theodora makes a new friend and a new enemy at school, the letters aren’t the only problem she has. Dexter, new best friend is terrified of Theodora’s strange ideas and keeps getting them both into trouble, Ms Frumple, the new headteacher, has taken a distinct dislike to Theodora and gives her endless detentions.

Brave and bold, Theodora decides to take her own action against the letter writer. There are jags, trolls and plenty of undead creatures rising to battle Theodora and her family. There are plenty of twists and funny moments alongside some heartwarming messages of love and the power of family and friends.
Dexter is endearing and eventually comes round to understanding Theodora and their friendship is amazing.

This book, and hopefully this series, is set to enthral and thrill readers.

Theodora Hendrix has had an unusual upbringing, full of mischievous werewolf cubs, a talking tarantula and a mummy who is, quite literally, a mummy. But she loves her life with the Monstrous League of Monsters, and can't imagine a better place to live. When menacing letters begin to arrive, threatening the monstrous-family she loves, Theodora is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This book is so much fun! I really loved the mysterious narrator, who seems to know a lot about what is going on, but keeps their identity under wraps. They constantly address the reader, which will draw children into the story, and are fond of complaining about grown-ups (making this a fun one for parents and teachers to read aloud!)

Theodora is a great protagonist: brave, caring, but also keen to make a human friend (so much that she's willing to sit through chess club run by her horrible headteacher). All of the monsters in MLM were well defined, with individual quirks and personalities - from opera singing ghosts to werewolves who eat bones in front of human guests. And the house itself is full of blinking eyes and forgetful gargoyles. There's a lot of humour in Theodora's inventive attempts to convince her new friend Dexter that her house is completely normal.

The illustrations are excellent and really bring the story to life (I especially loved Sherman). They didn't quite show up properly on the digital version from NetGalley, so I'm really looking forward to buying the finished book so my daughter and I can enjoy them properly.

Theodora Hendrix is a great book for younger fans of spooky stories, who want humour alongside their monsters. A perfect halloween read.

I was sent an advanced copy of Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters for review.
It is written by Jordan Kopy and illustrated by Chris Jevons

Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters is a book that will definitely appeal to readers who liked books like Amelia Fang, as it embraces the silly side of monsters and 'spooky' things, presenting them as fun instead of scary.

The book begins by introducing readers to Georgie, a zombie just risen from his grave, and vampire cat Bandit. Together, the two of them discover a baby girl left alone in a haunted graveyard at night. Searching around for her parents, they find nothing. Knowing that leaving her would result in some kind of monster coming along and eating her, the two of them take her to the Monstrous League of Monsters looking for advice.

The League live together in a huge mansion, a mummy, vampire, werewolf, witch, skeleton butler, singing ghost, and more. The League are dedicated to keeping the existence of monsters a secret from the human world, and to helping evil monsters to changing their ways and becoming good. They're unsure what to do with the child, but decide to take care of her, but only until they can think of a better idea. Well, after putting off those 'better' ideas time and time again, the monsters raise the baby, named Theodora, and fall in love with her.

Now Theodora is a lively ten year old, living with her monster family and going to the local primary school. Despite being surrounded by the monsters who love her she doesn't have any human friends, most of the other children being too afraid to come anywhere near her haunted home. However, when a new kid joins her school the two of them strike up a friendship, leading to Theodora trying to have a normal friendship whilst keeping the reality of her home life secret.

Whilst all this is happening the Monstrous League of Monsters begin to receive mysterious letters that indicate that they know about Theodora, and know that they're breaking the rules by raising her. Threatenign to out them to the rest of the MLM, they and Theodora try to find out who's sending the letters, the person who wants to break their family apart.

Despite being full of monsters and creatures the book tells a very human story, and focuses on family. Theodora might not be related to any of the MLM members, not even the same species in a lot of cases, but it's the love they all have for each other that makes them a family, and is the reason they'd all do whatever it takes to stay together.

The book is full of these kinds of messages and morals, and will teach children that friendships and family can take any form, that you can care for someone and mean something to others even if you're not related. It's a nice moral, and one that will leave child readers feeling good.

There's also a lot of silly humour in the book, without it being too ridiculous. It's not full of silly fart jokes or gross-out gags, but relies on the monsters to get a laugh or two; such as when the werewolf has been glamoured to look human in front of Theodora's friend, but starts chewing on a bone, or when Bandit spits up three live mice whilst the kids are playing Monopoly. They're slightly farcical moments, but they'll make your kid laugh out loud, and can even elicit a chuckle or two from any parent reading along with them.

Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters is a fun little book, full of nice messages and great illustrations that will keep any kid interested. It's got a story that's complex enough to keep children engaged and guessing, but isn't too grown up that they'll begin to lose interest. If you've got a child who likes monsters and spooky things this is an ideal read, especially with Halloween coming up.

This was such a fun ride!
I loved Theodora and Dexter and even though I am the actual worst when it comes to spiders (seriously, the scare the bejeezus out of me), I adored Sherman?!
What a wonderful story about courage and belonging and loyalty and fighting for one's loved ones!
Not to mention that the villain was such a great depiction!
The writing style was so much fun and the interruptions from the author reminded me a lot of A Series of Unfortunate Events - in the best way!
I really hope there will be more stories about Theodora Hendrix!